A bird here and a bird there (05-12Jan2016)

I have been fitting in some birding here and there for short snippets between work and family responsibilities and it feels pretty good to not be as obsessive as I have been in the past.  I can't lie that I am tempted to chase some birds, but so far I have been able to keep my more excessive tendencies in check.  However, don't worry my devoted readers, I still have some fodder for you and my big 40th is coming up soon so I may have to go on a pelagic....

Ruddy Turnstones are the most reliable bird on Johnny Mercer's pier.  If the wind is blowing off shore and all the water birds are out to sea, good old Ruddy Turnstone consoles me.

I have been hunting Pacific Loons in the morning before work but have not found any despite other people seeing them hours before or after me.  The Common Loons are plentiful as usual.  If you have ever gone spear fishing with a Hawaiian Sling, you can appreciate how hard it is to hunt fish in their environment.  How the Loons are so successful is beyond me.

Forster's Terns are nice enough to have an easy to identify field mark in the winter - the eye patch.  In the summer you better not be too quick to ID them.

Bonaparte's Gulls are the tiny dancers of the gull world.  They pitter patter feed on the surface of the water much like storm petrels.

Red-throated Loons are one of those birds where behavior is a key identifier.  They like to hold their bills up at an angle.  And somehow it does not come across as snooty.

Late last week I had to go to Maine for work, and since my brother lives in Portland, that was fine by me.  However, the drawback was that I only had an hour or so in the mornings to bird because it got light so late and dark so early that I was on my job site for 95% of the daylight.

Consequently, my pictures are not crisp due to early morning light.

Have you ever been humbled by a group of Turkeys?  They are difficult photographic subjects due to their size especially when using a 400mm lens.

As Al Pacino would say "You got a great ass!".

What came first in naming, the Turkey or the Turkey Vulture? I see the resemblance here.

Little Boy Blue

Many people think the Turkey would better represent America than the Bald Eagle.  The toms even have the Red, White and Blue thing going.

I am not sure if it was the early morning light, or my camera sensor was just bugging out not knowing what to do with these birds, but I just did not come away with a crush.

At Dyer Point we saw some decent birds but again the light sucked and it was cold!

Harlequin Ducks

Common Eiders - I am overdue for a Drake Eider in NC.

Red-breasted Mergansers

Common Loon

Purple Sandpipers

This Gyr Falcon was tolerating the Crow reasonably well, probably because it was fake.

Long-tailed Duck in a snow shower.

This weekend I was deathly ill and did not get out much. However, on Monday while my kid was at Soccer, I zipped over to the Battleship and found this cool looking Buteo.

Now I know Red-tails can have a pretty strong belly band, but this was dark and low!  I was tricked for about 15 seconds into thinking I had a Rough-legged Hawk.

However, I corrected myself pretty quickly.

And when he flew, it sealed the ID.   Look at that dark Patagial Bar!

Cedar Waxwing

The largest flock of Rusty Blackbirds was hanging out near the Battleship eating cracked corn that someone had spilled in the roadway. I estimated about 100-150.  If you look closely you can see them chowing on corn.  Who knew!

This Boat-tailed Grackle obviously woke up on the wrong side of the pier. He was in a foul mood.

Ring-billed Gulls are pretty dapper as far as gulls go.  Also, if you ever go to Niagara Falls, it will give you a new appreciation for them.

This Willet looked so pacific that I almost forgot I have seen Willet try to murder each other.

You spend your summers laughing that clown laugh, and I can't help but think you are laughing at me.  Well now it's my turn.... I looked over my shoulder and made sure no people were nearby and I started pointing and laughing at this poor gull.  Such a poor specimen in the winter.... Now who's laughing you nasty bird... Just kidding, I love you too you silly bird.

Dunlins are innocuous. They are kind of like Tofu, I have nothing against them and I don't really care for them.  They are just there.

Piping Plover

I have gone to Airlie Gardens a couple times to check the lake, but the lighting has sucked.  However, I would like to make some progress in my photographic year list so here are some not so great pictures of ducks.

Mallard

American Wigeon

Gadwall Drake

American Black Duck

I hope those last few shots have not turned you off.  I know I should end on a good note, but I hate for these pictures to go to waste.  These birds deserve better.

Hopefully I will get some good birding in this weekend.

Cheers.